Student Projects


Developing A Selection Guide For Modular Continuous Manufacturing Lines In Pharmaceutical Production

To dedicated students of chemical and pharmaceutical engineering or chemical and process engineering

Objective

In recent years, more and more pharmaceutical companies have been looking to implement continuous manufacturing processes in their production. Benefits such as consistent and high product quality, accelerated scale-up and more efficient operation are driving this trend.

However, designing and conceptualising a continuous manufacturing plant is a challenging task as all the components need to work together seamlessly. In order to achieve maximum efficiency from all process equipment, their maximum throughput should be matched throughout the production line. Aware of this requirement, major equipment suppliers have developed dedicated continuous manufacturing lines with different capabilities.

The aim of this design practice is to establish a selection guide for either complete continuous manufacturing lines or lines composed of equipment from different suppliers. In the context of this project we aim especially for the design of modular manufactruing lines offering a high degree of flexibility when it comes to different routes of production. Explicitly the line should allow easy changes betwean products manufactured by direct compression or wet granulation as well as integration of different blending steps. An example is provided in the flowsheet below, showing a line where the granulation line simply feeds into the direct compression line. Hence, the selection guide should take into account equipment flexibility, compatibility, maximum throughputs, granulation capabilities, availability of PAT tools, etc.

Within the framework of this design practice we offer the following

  • Extensive participation in a top-level and industrially relevant research project in an international environment
  • Supervised training in the task
  • Assistance of experienced staff with the implementation of innovative ideas
  • Access to highly modern infrastructure on campus of Graz University of Technology

If you are interested in writing your thesis at the interface between university research and industry/ business and to contribute to the optimization of product and process development in the pharmaceutical industry, please contact us indicating the reference number.

Contact
Dr. Andreas Kottlan, Senior Scientist
Inffeldgasse 13, 8010 Graz, Austria
tel.  +43 316 873 30980,
andreas.kottlannoSpam@rcpe.at

Literaturstudie Produktströme der Holzpyrolyse


Paid Master Thesis or Student Job - Developing a Novel Drug Delivery System for Special Patients

Background

The Institute of Process and Particle Engineering is a world leader in the development of pharmaceutical products and processes.

In this context, we are offering a paid master thesis where the student is employed at an external company.

The goal of the master thesis is to create the basis for product development, focusing on a novel drug delivery system where the medicine is contained in a flavored gel, either as solution, emulsion or suspension. Drug delivery occurs via breaking a seal of a snap-package and sucking out the flavored gel. Target patient populations includes:

  • Geriatric patients (frail & old patients)
  • Pediatric patients (kids)
  • Emergency applications

Tasks

  • Literature study on competitor products and patent situation
  • List of the 20-30 most important medicines for the three target populations and corresponding biopharmaceutical classification
  • Research on formulation strategies (solutions, emulsions, suspension) with sufficient stability
  • Selection of 3 model APIs (different categories) and formulation of the gels
  • Stability testing under stress conditions

Requirements

  • Background in pharmaceutical sciences, pharmaceutical engineering or medicines
  • Student in pharmacy, pharmaceutical engineering, chemical engineering or related

What we offer:

  • Integration in an internationally leading team
  • Opportunity to be part of a commercialization project
  • Paid thesis

Start: Spring 2021

Contact: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Johannes Khinast, khinastnoSpam@tugraz.at


Paid Master Thesis or student job: Comparing Bioreactors with different scales and/or geometries

Background

The Institute of Process and Particle Engineering is a world leader in the development of simulation tools for industrial-scale bioprocessing units, funded by the Spin-Off Fellowship Program of the FFG. For example, our current code can model processes in large-scale bioreactors, up to 200m3 .
We are therefore offering a student job with the possibility to do a master thesis with the goal of creating a comparison algorithm for bioreactors. The objective is to find the influencing factors that determine the productivity difference between reactors. This should be done by comparing reactors of different scales and for reactors at the same scale but different geometry and should aid scale up or process transfer processes in the industry.

Tasks

  • Literature study on available influencing factors or comparison concepts for the production in bioreactors using cells or microorganisms
  • Propose an algorithm for the comparison of reactors
  • Do scale ups or process transfer virtually

Requirements

  • Background in biotechnology, biochemistry, molecular microbiology or similar
  • Being familiar with industrial production in bioreactors

What we offer:

  • Integration in an internationally leading team
  • Opportunity to be part of a commercialization project
  • Paid thesis

Start: Fall 2020

Contact
Dr. Christian Witz
0316 873 30416
christian.witznoSpam@tugraz.at


Contact
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Michaela Cibulka
Mag.phil.
Phone
+43 316 873 - 30403
Fax
+43 316 873 - 1030403